REDLANDS – Can-can girls and cowboys in black ties set the scene for the Redlands Footlighters’ awards ceremony.

“This is just our star-studded evening,” said Jan Fowler, mistress of ceremonies. “This is when we show up with glitz and glitter and many black ties, and we celebrate all our achievements and the people who help bring our stage to life.”

The Redlands Footlighters’ 23rd annual appreciation awards banquet, “Rewards Round Up,” was held Sunday evening at the Mill Creek Cattle Company in Mentone.

Cynthia Lake, president of the Footlighters, has enjoyed the development of the ceremonies over the years.

“There are awards that are given out from the Inland Theater League, but I think that this is a group of people that really like to party and have fun, so it’s a good excuse to have a party,” Lake said.

“Initially there were gag awards, but now they’re actual sincere awards,” she said.

“We have a non-member in charge of the judging committee, so that there is no collusion,” Lake said. “They come to the five or six plays and have a point system. They judge each show on its own merit according to the criteria that they’ve been given.”

Judy Leonis, coordinator of the ceremonies, has anticipated the event coming together since April.

“I don’t know why I worry because it always works out nicely,” Leonis said. “I’ve been on the board off and on for a while; I’m a hearty Footlighter. I can’t do it without all of my right-arm people.”

The outstanding director award went to Cynthia Lake for “The Underpants,” technical director to Mike Hogan for “God’s Man in Texas,” set design to Teresa Dolan and Eric Gruenler for “Everybody Loves Opal” and to Buffy Guzenski and Phillip Gabriel for “Murder by Misadventure.” Guzenski and Gabriel also won awards for set decoration in “Murder by Misadventure.”

Other awards went to Guzenski for costume design in “Murder by Misadventure,” Mel Chadwick for lead actor in “God’s Man in Texas,” Mia Mercado for lead actress in “Perfect Wedding,” Gabriel for supporting actor in “The Underpants” and Ginny Harman for supporting actress in “The Underpants.”

The Ann Salpas Award went to Mike Hogan, the Gordan Dittermore Award went to Steve Soltesz, the Ed Parry Award went to Guzenski, the Joe Camp Award went to Dick McCarty and the Life Member Awards went to Felice Brezsny and Al Fowler.

The Redlands Footlighters began in the 1940s.

“During World War II, a group of ladies – primarily because the men were all off at war – were entertaining for themselves and the community,” Lake said.

“Then the men came back from the war and formed a company called the Redlands Footlighters and were kind of looking for a home. They went from barns to the high school stage. Wherever they could find a stage, they performed. They opened in 1981 at their current location on Barton Road and built a theater.”

Lake, who has spent most of her life with the Footlighters, is stepping down as president.

“I was a child and my parents moved to town in 1962,” Lake said. “My dad (Howard Lake) got involved instantly and we just by proxy ended up in the theater playing in the costume room learning all about the stage and theater.”

Overall, Fowler believed the night went well.

“We have a bare stage, and magically, with the help of our playwright, the tech people, the set building, the set design, the stage is transformed into beautiful, believable stuff,” Fowler said. “It takes the work of many, many people. Having been a theater person for a long time, I just love the world of make-believe.”